IN the eyes of U.S. and Italian law, Raffaele Minichiello, the first transatlantic skyjacker, is accused of grave crimes that call for heavy penalties in either country. But to millions of Italians the AWOL Marine who saw combat in Viet Nam has become something of an instant folk hero. There has been a widespread outpouring of sympathy, tinged with more than a bit of nationalistic pride, for the Italian-born youth who managed to pull off such a daring trick. As Turin's La Stampa noted: "The 'pirate of the air' is still a paisà [countryman]." Judged by much of the reaction, the...
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